my life with products

Category Archives: kitchen

I love the dollar store. And I mean the real dollar store where all the items cost a dollar, not the discount stores with the word dollar in their title that really just have stuff that is often cheaper but usually more than a dollar.

Just wanted to be clear on that part!

One of my finds there actually wasn’t my own find but my mother’s. (Thanks!)

In the baby section they have what they call (I believe, and I’m going by memory here since the packaging is long gone) “baby snack cups.” They’re small (probably about 5 oz. or so) plastic bowls with lids that are really useful. They come 5 to a pack, so they’re only about 20 cents each.

storage of small amounts of leftovers

holding ingredients during meal preparation

sending samples of home made flavored vodka home with guests after holiday parties

Pretend I don’t sound slightly out of breath through most of this video. Also, pretend that I didn’t drop the stack of bowls right before making this, which is why the “clean” bowl I’m referring to has a couple crumbs stuck to the bottom of it that it picked up from the not-as-clean counter top. Oops. So I didn’t wipe them down yet! Sorry!

There is a stove top waffle pancake pan from Nordic Ware. This griddle has a non-stick surface (for easy clean up) and makes up to 7 3-inch waffle pancakes at a time. They come out as crisp round pancakes, with a waffle top! Perfect for drizzling butter and syrup or even fruit! Mmmm.

It should come as no surprise that I am a bit of a hoarder. I collect things. Lots of things. Not like in a having collections sort of way like people are with knick knacks or stamps or vintage, well, everything these days. No. I mean I just keep acquiring stuff.

This would be fine, except… I’m scared to use it. I will buy stuff, then put it away and avoid taking it out and using it, just to keep it safe. How ridiculous is this?

Last summer we went to Chicago and I got the chance to walk around and do a little shopping in Chinatown. It was great. We went in a little tea shop and I found this fabulous kitty cup set. So cute! I had to have it! I had them wrap it up. I carefully wedged it in my bag. I carefully brought it home. I put it in the cupboard. In the cupboard where it has stayed for the last 5 months.
Until tonight.

I’d like you to know that right now, right this very moment, I am forcing myself to drink tea out of one of these adorable tea cups. And it’s hard! My instincts tell me no! What if something happens to it?! What if it has a nasty Muffin-induced accident like the adorable cow bowl?! What if it gets chipped when I wash it?! What if the tea stains it?! What if what if!!

But tonight, right now, right this very moment, I’m making that voice shut up! I’m doing it and… it’s nice!

Most of the time I can’t manage to get all the way through a mug of tea before it’s icy cold and icky. Often I’ll reheat my last bits of tea 2 or even 3 times. That’s sad. Drinking tea should not take such talent or even effort.

Last year I learned to appreciate mug warmers! My friend had one that was getting neglected and so I stole it and gave it a better home. They really do work! Eventually your drink will get less hot, the longer you leave it. But even I only had warm tea at worst. (Note: It’s *much* better than unintentionally cold tea.)

Now to dig it out and dust it off. It’s getting to be that season again!

Looking for gifts for the product whore in your life? I’ve put together a list of fabulous items for you!

1. Lush:

Christmas Party Bath Bomb – I love this bomb! It’s orangey and lovely and full of stars and confetti. I admit I put mine in a stocking before dropping it in the bath. But I’m lazy and don’t like to clean stuff out of my tub.

6. Escada Moon Sparkle – This is one of the very few non Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab perfumes that I have ever liked. I *love* this. It’s sort of fruity, sort of floral. I am terrible at describing scents. But this one is lovely. I just keep sniffing myself and sniffing myself.

I love brownies. I think they are the bees knees, the cat’s pajamas and all sorts of awesome.

I like my brownies to be moist, dense, chewy – what they call fudge like (or is it fudgey) even though they don’t resemble fudge really at all. I’m not so into cake like brownies. I don’t even think they should be allowed to be brownies. They should just be cake.

My favorite part of the brownie is the edge. Don’t get me wrong, I will happily munch down plenty of the non-edge parts. Brownies are moist chewy bits of happiness, after all. But I will fight someone for the edges. Not just fight them. I will WIN! This is the passion I have for brownie edges.

Sometimes in the midst of my foodgasm, I will sigh and say “I wish I could have a pan of nothing but edges…” in that wistful sort of way that you say things that you know are ridiculous but you wish anyway.

So imagine my surprise and delight when I was reading through assorted food articles and found out that it is possible! There is a thing that makes this wonderful idea a reality! (at least in theory)

Bakers Edge makes an all edge pan. It has a winding channel that snakes it’s way across the pan providing you with edge, edge, and more edge. Wee! I clapped my hands, bounced, squee’d! It is now on my list of things that I must have. And when I have it I will never leave the house again. I will stay home and bake brownies all day.